PREVAILING COUNSEL - Daily devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Habakkuk 1-3
PREVAILING COUNSEL Saturday, March 19, 2011
MEMORIZE: “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand” (Prov. 19:21). READ: Proverbs 19:20-21 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children” (Exo. 2:6). God is simply marvelous and difficult to understand sometimes. Miriam wished that Pharaoh's daughter never saw her brother because naturally, she would have killed him. But to her great surprise, he found favor before this princess. One lesson from this is that apart from Satan, demons, the world, and our flesh, believers have no permanent enemy. Someone can be an agent of Satan today, working against you; by tomorrow, the fellow can begin to work in your favor. Yes, your greatest enemy can become your strongest supporter. Do you know that your enemies are endowed? If they see you as an enemy, they will channel their resources against you. But the day they begin to see you as a friend, God help anyone who wants to stand in your way! They will fight for you even with their lives! So those of you who pray that your human enemies should die, may indeed be losing your greatest supporters! Some people think that God must have put some wool over the eyes of this Egyptian Princess but that wasn't so. She recognized that Moses was one of the Hebrew boys over whom there was a death sentence her father. She knew he should die. Her maidens also knew of this sentence and quite possibly agree he should face it. Yet, the princess favored the one that was condemned to die. This simply tells us that in spite of the fury of the oppressor, God can still have His way over any matter if He wants to. Also, for a child of destiny like you, God can always cause the enemy to bend the rules in your favor. It also shows that no matter what the enemy has decided against you, only God's counsel will be upheld. Hence, Proverbs 19:21 says, “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand”. God's counsel is in His Word, and it prevails over every other counsel. What have the enemies agreed upon concerning you? It shall be disappointed and they shall be frustrated this season in Jesus name. According to Isaiah 46:10, God says His counsel will prevail over your life and He will do what He pleases and not what your enemy desires. Yield completely to His will? PRAYER POINT: Ask God to frustrate every contrary counsel against you, your family, and your local assembly.

RETURN! - Daily devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Nahum 1-3
RETURN! Friday, March 18, 2011
MEMORIZE: “If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” (Job 22:23) READ: Ruth 1:19-22 There are vital things to know about economy-based famines. Taking unguarded steps during a famine can cause irreversible losses. One period you must be extremely careful, thoughtful and take Spirit-led decisions is during a famine. In Genesis 12:10-17, Abraham experienced a famine. He did not seek God's face concerning the cause and how to overcome it. He simply applied his sixth sense and decided to relocate to Egypt. That trip could have cost him the mother of his heir—Sarah. He had indeed lost her; it took divine intervention for her to be restored. He could have avoided all the embarrassment. Today, when some people face a famine, they still follow Abraham's example by relocating to a better city, state, or nation, without consulting God. How do you know where you are going is better? A place may be generally good for the average person, but it may be the worst for you. The time to be very meticulous about relocating is when you are experiencing a famine. Another person who suffered a great loss during a famine was Naomi. In Ruth 1:15-, the Israeli nation faced a famine. Instead of consulting God, Elimelech—Naomi's husband—did not. He took his wife and two sons and headed for the land of Moab. Yes, he got food there but the years spent in that land were most horrifying! Elimelech soon died. Thereafter, Naomi encouraged her two sons to marry. They did but 10 years later, the sons died. She lost everything she came with whereas most of those she left behind in Judah were alive and well. Her relocation in that famine was like moving from frying pan into fire. When she returned to Israel, those she left could barely recognize her. Yet, because she returned, God still gave her a good end. There are many people who have left their nation's shores in order to escape some famine and like Naomi, they returned empty. Out of shame, many have continued in such lands. Yet, like Naomi, they need to retrace their steps and the Lord will reorganize their latter end. Are you a victim of this? Return to God by accepting Him into your life. Then, prayerfully consider a return. The Lord will order your steps aright. God can cause you to have your financial breakthrough on your return. ACTION POINT: To prevent or reduce loss to its barest minimum during a famine, stay with God.

Revealing God's Love- Daily devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Micah 4-7
REVEALING GOD'S LOVE Thursday, March 17, 2011
MEMORIZE: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16). READ: John 15:9-13 When God wanted to reveal His invisible self to man, He clothed the Word with flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, and sent Him into the world. Genesis 1:26-27 talks of the decision to create man which was taken by the Godhead. Why was man created? It is so that there would be someone who can see a little of God whenever He came to earth. Some ages past, nothing existed but God. All you see today—sun, moon and stars, planet earth, human beings, etc., once existed only as an essential part of God's thought. But at some point, He decided to bring to manifestation a portion of it. Although inanimate objects and animals have their ways of relating with their Creator, none of them can understand God. As a result God made man so that at least someone will be able to understand a little of Him. Another reason for creating man is to reveal Himself in man. God wants you to appreciate His greatness and wants to use you to show the world how great He is. If you look at the life of Jesus Christ, several things about God were revealed. One major aspect of God that Jesus revealed is love. John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. Until Jesus came, we never knew what true love was all about. God wants you to know that there is a depth of love that can only be accessed through God. When fellow human beings tell you 'I love you,' they may really mean, 'I need you', 'I want something from you', 'I want to use you to get to an end,' etc. Man's love is selfish, self-centered and usually tied to something—a hidden agenda or motive. As for God, however, it is important to know that He has nothing amiss that He needs our love to complete. Before we existed He was God. Before and after expressing your love for God, He remains God. Your love cannot add to or subtract from His essence. God loves you to the extent of dying for you. How many will be ready to die for me? Any one who says he or she is ready to do so is simply engaged in self deceit. This is why I feel sad for those who peg their security on security guards. Which security guard will love his employer to the extent of dying for him? This accounts for why many of them flee when they come face to face with death. Safety is only from God. Do you have Jesus? Can people around you experience the love of God? If all they see is hatred, wickedness and an unforgiving spirit, it shows you do not truly have Christ or the Spirit of Christ. Can God reveal His love through you? PRAYER POINT: Father, through my life, let your love shine forth in the midst of hatred, selfishness, and wickedness.

WHEN IT'S NOT TOO LATE- Open heavens devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Micah 1-3
WHEN IT'S NOT TOO LATE Wednesday, March 16, 2011
MEMORIZE: “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:21). READ: Romans 4:16-24 God uses His vessels to prove a point. Believe it or not, your personal relationship with God paints a picture of Him to those around you. If you paint a bad picture, people will never want to associate with your God. What kind of picture is your life painting to the world? In Genesis 26:12-14, God used Isaac to prove the infallibility of His law of harvest. Sometimes, God uses a vessel to make everyone know that with Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37). Abraham and Sarah are a case in point. When the former was 75 years old, God promised that He would make him the father of many nations. At this time, his wife was barren at the age of 65. They were already too old to bear children, yet God deliberately waited 25 more years until Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 before bringing His promise to pass. Has God promised to do something that appears impossible and yet, the promise is still lingering? He may be waiting for all options o run out and possibility in order to prove, through your life, that with Him there is no impossibility. As long as God is still be involved in your case, it can never be too late. Is it appearing too late in that particular situation? Fear not! The Lord will step right in and 'too late' will become 'most appropriate time' in Jesus name. On a trip to America some years ago, one of my daughters—a medical doctor—had an encounter. She was already past child-bearing age, had stopped menstruating, and still trusting God for a husband. She had every reason to resign herself to fate, yet; something within her told her she would have a child. As she asked how this could be, the Lord guided her. She bought a car, met her pastor and pleaded with him that whenever I came around, that the car should be the vehicle that takes me around. Although her pastor had earlier arranged for another car, on seeing her persistence, he obliged her. On my arrival, I was conveyed in her car. After I left, she took the car to the garage, locked herself inside and prayed that the anointing on me that was deposited in that car should destroy her yokes and make her the mother of a child as God had promised. A few weeks later, a brother met her and said, “God said you are my wife”. A few months later, they married. A little over a year afterwards, their baby came. The Lord who did it for this sister will turn your situation around in Jesus name. Every power of delay is broken now in Jesus name. Your 'too late' situation will soon become 'right time' situation in Jesus name. Ask God for what to do to trigger your miracle today! PRAYER POINT: Like you did in the lives of Abraham and Sarah, use my impossible situation to prove to the world that nothing is truly impossible with You.